Being Prayer
I was praying this morning about a retreat we have this Saturday at St. Edward’s in Clifton Park. St. Ed’s is a HUGE parish, and this is the third retreat on the same topic we are offering for them this year, enabling all 125 confirmandi to attend, but have manageable group sizes.
At the same time, I read an email I sent to a friend. I meant to say “I am praying for you” and what I typed was “I am prayer for you.” She wrote back, “You *are* prayer for me, thank you.” So while praying about these kids in Clifton Park, and what the Spirit wants them to have the opportunity to experience, I am reflecting on ‘being prayer’ and how, as a Eucharistic community, we are called to *be* prayer for each other.
Prayer defined is “communicating with God,” what if we took St. Francis’ desire to make his life a prayer one step further, that all we are becomes prayer, that all we are becomes talking to and listening to God? How does that change the way I live? Interact? love? disagree? How does that cause conversion? What language am I using as I pray? And how do I encourage others on their journey, on their *being* prayer?
Much to reflect on, with the added dimension that this will probably change the plan for the retreat. Ah well. The Spirit doesn’t work on my time table… never has…. which is good, as mine is not perfect, but God’s is.